Tamworth’s MP Encourages Further Apprenticeship Placements

Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, has welcomed the news of 450 new apprentice placements in Tamworth, up from 390 in the previous year.

Mr Pincher said, “We know that University is not for everyone and pupils leaving school should have real choice in their next education steps. Apprenticeships are a big part of education and making sure they meet high standards, driven by business needs and meet industry demands will ensure that our engineers of the future are some of the best in the world.

“I remember visiting Lovell’s training centre on Bonehill Road and what struck me was the enthusiasm and commitment of the apprentices. We need to keep encouraging that. Apprenticeships allow people to earn and learn at the same time, while significantly increasing their potential future earnings. But the benefits go wider than that – every £1 spent on an apprenticeship returns an estimated benefit of £18 to the economy.

“I urge people of all ages to consider becoming an apprentice and seize the opportunities that the government has opened up for them.”

For more information on apprenticeships can be found at www.apprenticeships.org.uk or to see what positions are available in Tamworth and surrounding area please visit www.southstaffs.ac.uk/apprentice-vacancies with currently over 20 positions being advertised.

Could You be Our Next Council Candidate?

The Conservative Party is seeking people interested in becoming local council candidates for the May 2015 Local Council elections.

Local Councillors are responsible for the delivery of local services, such as bin collections, street cleaning, planning decisions, open spaces, play areas, setting council tax, licensing, outdoor events, social housing, plus many other important local services. Councillors also have a role helping to resolve community issues and provide community leadership.

Being a councillor is also a hugely rewarding experience. You get the opportunity to put something back into your community. You get to shape and change your area for the better.

The election campaign itself is also a rollercoaster of excitement; something many consider to be a memorable and unique experience.

If you are interested in getting involved and learning how the services in your town are run, you want to put something back into your local community, or you are interested in public service, then this might be an opportunity for you. Most of the meetings Councillors attend are in the evening and many Councillors have full time jobs as well.

If you are interested in being considered for a candidacy, would like an application form or would like more information, please contact me on 01827 57156 or e-mail office@tamworthconservatives.co.uk.

Local councillors are ordinary people from every walk of life, so this is something anyone can do. We hope you will consider finding out more about becoming a council candidate.

Thank you for your time.

Alex Farrell
Deputy Chairman – Political

Council Leader Retains Leadership and Announces Changes to Cabinet

Cllr Daniel Cook

Cllr Daniel Cook will remain Leader of Tamworth Borough Council it was announced at last night’s Full Council meeting, making him one of the borough’s longest serving leaders.

Cllr Cook, who is a Conservative Party councillor representing Trinity ward, became leader of Tamworth Borough Council in December 2009 and has been a councillor since 2004. This is the sixth time he has been elected Leader of the Council and only the former Leader, the late Cllr Phil Dix, OBE, has served in the position longer.

At the annual council meeting, Cllr Richard Kingstone was sworn in as Mayor of Tamworth for the next 12 months and Cllr Maureen Gant will serve as the borough’s Deputy Mayor.

After accepting the position of Leader of the Council, Cllr Cook announced Cllr Robert Pritchard would remain in his current role as Deputy Leader of the Council.

Changes to Tamworth Borough Council’s Cabinet and portfolios were also announced at the meeting.

The full Cabinet and responsibilities is as follows:

• Cllr Daniel Cook. Leader. Portfolio: Performance, financial planning, strategy and reputation
• 23Cllr Robert Pritchard: Deputy Leader. Portfolio: Operations & Assets
• Cllr Steve Claymore: Portfolio: Economy & Education
• Cllr Stephen Doyle: Portfolio: Community Development & Voluntary Sector
• Cllr Michael Greatorex: Portfolio: Public Housing & Vulnerable People
• Cllr Michelle Thurgood: Portfolio: Environment & Waste Management

Cllr Cook also paid tribute to Cllr Jeremy Oates, a long serving Cabinet member and former Leader of the Council, who stepped away from Cabinet this year due to work and family commitments.

Cllr Richard Kingstone is Tamworth’s New Mayor

Cllr Richard Kingstone, Conservative councillor for Mercian ward, is the new Mayor of Tamworth.

At Thursday night’s meeting of the Full Council held in Tamworth’s historic Town Hall, Cllr Kingstone was unanimously voted into the prestigious role. Cllr Kingstone was first voted onto the Borough Council in 2012.

Prior to the vote fellow Mercian ward councillor Andrew James said, “I am pleased to propose Cllr Kingstone for the prestigious role of Mayor of Tamworth.  I have known Cllr Kingstone for several years and worked with him in Mercian ward prior to my own election to the council in 2011.

“Not only do we both represent Mercian ward, we also both grew up in Mercian ward as near neighbours at either ends of Riverside.  I am sure that Cllr Kingstone’s years as both a teacher and magistrate will have proved to be the perfect training ground for his year ahead chairing Full Council meetings; I just hope he has no need to order detention for members or put on his black hat and send any of us down.”

After the vote Cllr Kingstone said, “It is a great honour to take on the role of Mayor and I promised the people of Tamworth that I will do my upmost to serve them well over the next year.  Each Mayor always puts his or her own spin on the role and I intend to be no exception.  Tamworth will see a very different Mayor to those that have gone before.

“I will be using the role to not only highlight and promote our amazing town but to help raise the aspirations of our young people and troubled families.  I want them to be proud of themselves and their town and will use the role of Mayor to do just that.”

Cllr Kingstone will be joined by Cllr Maureen Gant, Conservative councillor for Spital ward, who was unanimously voted Deputy Mayor for the coming year.

Newly Elected Conservative Councillors Take Seats on Council

Cllr Michael Oates, Cllr Joy Goodall & Cllr John Chesworth

Tamworth’s three newly elected Conservative councillors took their seats on the Borough Council at last night’s meeting of the Full Council.

At the start of the meeting Cllr John Chesworth, Spital ward, Cllr Joy Goodall, Belgrave ward, and Cllr Michael Oates, Trinity ward, joined councillors from all sides of the political spectrum to pay tribute to former Mayor of Tamworth Gerald Pinner who passed away earlier this week aged 66.

The meeting, which took place in Tamworth’s Town Hall, also saw Cllr Daniel Cook re-elected as Leader of the Council, a position he has held since December 2009. Following his re-election Cllr Cook told a packed Town Hall that Cllr Robert Pritchard will continue both as Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder Operations and Assets.

Cllr Cook also announced the other members of his Cabinet for the coming year. Cllr Steve Claymore and Cllr Michael Greatorex will both continue as Portfolio Holder for Economy and Education and Portfolio Holder for Public Housing and Vulnerable People. Cllr Stephen Doyle will be the new Portfolio for Community Development and Voluntary Sector and Cllr Michelle Thurgood will join the Cabinet team as Portfolio Holder for Environment & Waste Management.

Former Conservative Mayor of Tamworth Passes Away

Former Conservative Mayor of Tamworth Gerald Pinner passed away today aged 66.

Gerald was a Conservative councillor for Trinity ward in Tamworth from 2000 to 2011.  He was also Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group on Tamworth Borough Council and Mayor of Tamworth in 2009/10.

Former Leader of the Council Cllr Jeremy Oates said, “Over the many years I have known Gerry, we shared some fantastic times, including the end of his 20-plus year wait to get into Tamworth Borough Council with his win in Stonydelph in 2000, and two years later working with him to win the Trinity seat in all-out elections, with the final result being decided on the toss of a coin.

“In the years that followed we spent many hours raising petitions, organising public meetings, campaigns, in councillors’ surgeries or sharing a bag of chips and talking to residents in Dosthill chippy. For me, Gerry was larger than life and always had a story to tell.  His love of the council was undeniable, as was his sense of pride about Tamworth and personal pride when he became Mayor.

“For many years Gerry was crucial in keeping the Conservative Party alive in Tamworth, as he chaired the South branch and tirelessly fought elections.  Gerry is a character who will certainly be missed and I feel privileged to have known and worked with him in his prime years on the council.”

As yet, no funeral details have been released, however, Tamworth Borough Council have confirmed the flag on top of Marmion House will be flown at half mast on the day of his funeral.

Conservative Party Wins Tamworth and Increases Vote

Tamworth’s Conservatives celebrate victory in Thursday’s local election

Last Thursday’s Tamworth Borough Council election saw the Conservative Party outpoll all of the other Party’s and increase their vote across Tamworth from 12 months ago.

7,874 of Tamworth’s residents voted Conservative on Thursday across the borough, compared with 7,437 who voted Labour.  Thursday’s election also saw the Conservative Party vote increase 2,252 from twelve months ago, whereas Labour’s vote only went up 1,354.

Although, the 2014 election was for Tamworth Borough Council and last year’s election was for Staffordshire County Council, the majority of those residents that voted last week would also have had the chance to vote in the 2013 elections in Tamworth.

Total votes cast in Tamworth Borough Council Election 2014
Conservative Party 7,874, Labour Party 7,437, UKIP 3,149, Green Party 276, Liberal Democrats 114

New and Familiar Faces Elected to Represent Conservative Party in Tamworth

There were Conservative Party victories for both new and new and familiar faces in Thursday’s Tamworth Borough Council elections.

First time candidates John Chesworth and Joy Goodall won in Spital ward and Belgrave ward and former Mayor of Tamworth Michael Oates regained Trinity, the ward he represented from 2002 to 2010.

John Chesworth won Spital with a majority of 388, Joy Goodall won Belgrave with a majority of 388 and Michael Oates won Trinity with a majority of 563.

Conservative Party Retains Control of Tamworth Borough Council

Tamworth’s Conservatives celebrate victory at the end of a long election day

The Conservative Party have retained control of Tamworth Borough Council for a further year despite the national media claiming the Labour Party would take back control for the first time since 2004.

After months of hard and continued campaigning across Tamworth, the Conservative Party retained control of the council with a reduced majority of 2 from their previous 3 after losing Amington and Stonydelph; however, the party won Belgrave for the first time since 2008.

Two new councillors will join the Conservative benches after Joy Goodall won in Belgrave and John Chesworth won Spital ward and former Mayor of Tamworth Michael Oates is also returning as a Borough Councillor after winning Trinity.

Unfortunately, current Mayor of Tamworth, John Garner, was not so lucky after finishing second in Amington, the ward he has presented on and off for over 35 years.

The other successful Conservative candidates were Cllr Allan Lunn in Castle ward, Cllr Michael Greatorex in Mercian ward and Cllr Tina Clements in Wilnecote ward.

The first meeting of the new council will take place at Tamworth’s Town Hall on Thursday 5th June at 18:00 when all of the Conservative councillors will continue to sit on the controlling benches.

Longstanding Conservative Councillor is Lichfield District Council’s New Chairman

Cllr David Smith

Lichfield District Council’s new Chairman for 2014/15 is Cllr David S Smith, longstanding Conservative councillor in Stonnall.

Cllr Smith was sworn in as the new Chairman at the Annual Council meeting of Lichfield District Council on Tuesday 6 May 2014.

As Chairman, Cllr Smith will represent the district at a wide range of functions across Staffordshire – including royal visits, civic and ceremonial functions, and community and charity events. He will also chair council meetings and work throughout the year to raise money for his chosen charities.

Cllr Smith said, “I am honoured to take up this important role and am looking forward to representing the district council at the many events and functions that take place across Staffordshire.

“I am also pleased that it will give my wife Gay and me a chance to meet people throughout the district to find out more about voluntary groups and the vital work that they do.”

Cllr Smith has also announced that he will be raising money for three good causes, he said, “The charities I will be raising money for are Lichfield Cathedral East End Appeal, the Friends of St Peters Church in Stonnall, and the Forces Children’s Trust.”

Click here to keep up with the Chairman throughout his year in office